Rechargeable storage batteries such as the types commonly used in vehicles, boats, airplanes, tractors and the like occasionally become discharged due to excessive electrical consumption, short circuits, light switches inadvertently left on, etc., and it is common practice to use jumper cables to temporarily connect the depleted storage battery to a charged battery. Battery jumper cables are commonly sold in automobile supply retail outlets and include a pair of heavy duty flexible conduits, color coded, having a clamp at each end for connecting to the battery terminals.
The use of jumper cables is often difficult as batteries do not have a terminal configuration readily grippable by the cable clamp. The spring biased cable clamp jaws may be readily opened, but as the battery terminal is usually encompassed by a battery terminal clamp of non-uniform configuration, it is often difficult to effectively attach the cable clamp to the terminal or terminal clamp, and several tries are often required before a proper electrical connection is made capable of starting the disabled vehicle. Similar problems are encountered when attaching battery charger clamps to battery terminals.
It is an object of the invention to provide means adjacent the terminals of rechargeable batteries for facilitating attachment of jumper cable clamps, or battery charging clamps, thereto for the purpose of establishing an effective electrical connection to the battery terminal.
Another object of the invention is to provide means for readily attaching a battery jumper cable to a battery terminal in electrical connection therewith wherein a safe, positive and effective mechanical connection between the jumper cable clamp and the terminal is readily achieved
An additional object of the invention is to provide battery jumper clamp attachment means for a battery terminal which may be readily retrofitted to an existing battery terminal at little cost.
Another object of the invention is to provide means for facilitating attachment of jumper cable clamps to a battery terminal clamp.
Yet a further object of the invention is to provide means for rechargeable battery side mount terminals for facilitating attachment of battery jumper cables to side mount terminals in electrical conducting relationship thereto.
The inventive concept may take several forms. In its simplest form, the means for facilitating attachment of a battery jumper cable clamp to a battery terminal consists of a homogeneous extension defined upon the battery terminal which extends beyond the usual battery clamp and includes an annular groove capable of receiving the jaws of a jumper cable clamp. The addition of this battery terminal extension adds little cost to the battery construction, and yet effectively permits the battery cable clamp to be attached to the terminal and does not interfere with the mounting of battery clamps thereon.
A modification of the homogeneous terminal extension consists of an attachable and removable terminal extension in the form of a threaded member capable of being attached to the battery terminal after the battery is manufactured. The extension includes a threaded stem which coaxially screws into the terminal, and this embodiment of the invention permits the inventive concept to be retrofitted to existing installed batteries.
Another embodiment of the inventive concept lies in the location of the jumper cable gripping means to be homogeneously formed upon the usual battery terminal clamp, and in this embodiment the jumper cable clamp may be attached to a protuberance extending from the terminal clamp to establish electrical connection with the terminal.
A further embodiment of the invention consists of the utilization of an annular member coaxially defined about a battery side mount terminal having an annular groove for receiving the jumper cable clamp jaw to permit jumper cables to be readily attached to side-mounted batteries.